Creatine is for Women Too!

As a trainer, I always recommend that my clients take creatine, unless they are completely opposed to it. There is no reason why any beginner or experienced lifter should not experience the benefits creatine has to offer. Creatine will help make any woman stronger. Strength is directly related to an increase in muscle size and volume. More muscle makes it easier to burn fat. The more muscle you have, the more you can eat (yay!) and the more you can eat, the more you can grow.

Here are a few of the things my clients had to say about creatine:

Ashley:

“When I started weight training, I was very overweight. Discouragingly so. I started taking creatine per Jen’s recommendation and found that the strength increases I gained because of it was the only thing that kept me motivated to go the gym. I was not pretty to look at in the mirror, but I could feel the surge of strength I would get in my workouts from the creatine. I just felt stronger as my weight kept going up and up. I went from a 135 squat to a 175 lbs squat in 1 month. I just kept telling myself that all these strong, intense training sessions were going to uncover hot muscle someday. That pump and strength seriously kept me going. I am almost to my goal body composition now, and have taken creatine since day one.”

Amanda:

“When I started taking creatine I noticed some big changes. The thing that I loved most about it was the fact that It kept me working hard and pushing weights longer than I could without it. It gave major support! I also have seen major strength changes while using this supplement. I was 112 lbs and bench pressing 145 within a short time of introducing creatine. Before starting using it I was at the top of my game pushing 95 I gained 2 inches in my arms and major shoulder strength. I can lateral raise 20pds, curl 40’s and 150 on rows. I was not seeing any kind of successes like this before taking the stuff. What’s best is that as my weights have risen, so has my body shape and image. I look a lot better than when I was weaker. Now I am strong and sexy…sounds corny, but it’s true!”

Sarah:

“I was a little hesitant to take creatine when Jen told me that it was a must do. I had never taken it before and am always leery about taking extra things in besides food and a multi vitamin. However, my hesitation couldn’t have been more wrong. I hit the weights with that creatine in my system and I had no doubt in my mind that I am way stronger than I was before. I could only do curls with 10 lbs and in 4 weeks I have increased to doing the same number of reps with 20 lbs! My arms were 10.5 inches around (too small for the muscular legs I was blessed with), and I have added an entire inch on my arms as I have gotten stronger. I had tried to make improvements before and never saw results like this. I love creatine.“

I, myself also have this to say:

“I cannot describe to you how much creatine has helped my performance over the years. I would not dream of going without it. When I first started preparing to become a competitive bodybuilder, I was doing reps on bench at about 90 lbs. I was repping squats at about 135 lbs and Bent Over Rows at about 60 lbs. I was curling 15 lbs (per arm), and shoulder press topped out at 15 lbs per arm. Back then I did not take any other supplements except fish oil and a multi vitamin. I had pretty much come to as stand still. It was then that a trainer friend of my told me I ought to take creatine. Since I am the opposite of hesitant, I jumped right on it. I continued to lift with the intensity I had been using, with the creatine added into my scheme. At the end of 3 months, I had increased my bench to 135, my squat to 165, my bent rows to 90. I was able to curl 25 lbs, and my shoulder press went up to 25 lbs. I can honestly say that since I was not really incorporating anything extra in my routine, that the large strength increase was largely due to the creatine supplementation. I now (perform reps) Bench 155, squat 185, Bent Over Row 155, Curl 35, and shoulder press 35. I believe that in creatine has played a major role in my strength increases. I look the way I do now because I have been able to excel at my weights, and I have creatine to thank for a lot of that. I would never not take it!”

The bottom line is this: creatine is not a male supplement and when used regularly, it can increase the chances every woman has to achieve the physique of her dreams. Try it, and stick with, and you just might like what you see!

19 Responses

Hey Jen. I am one who is hesitant of takin creatine(Im a male, btw). Mostly because I always hear that there are no LONG TERM studies of creatine and any side-effects, just in the short term(of which there are none).

Another thing that bothers me is that creatine affects all muscle in the body, correct? Isn’t the heart a muscle? I would think there could be some long term heart effects from taking this. Jen, could you relieve any of these concerns or shed some light on them?

I’ve been making gains still in my training and haven’t plateau’d yet, so I’m trying to weight the risks of taking creatine. Thanks, Jen!

I’m not Jen but I will chime in and say that creatine is one of most researched supplements in the past 10-15 years. It used to be the knock years ago that “there are no long term studies” but people can’t argue that anymore since a good amount of time has passed. I’ll let Jen handle the rest but creatine has so many benefits it isn’t funny. I give it to clients who even only want “lifestyle” improvements.
Jimmy

For those of us who haven’t been using creatine, what are your recommendations for dosage? Amount, time of day to take, etc. I took creatine for a short while, and am looking to start again-but I never took it every day, just on my lifting days with my pre-w/o shake. I’m willing to give it a go on a daily basis, but I’m not sure where to start with it.

Thanks Jimmy. I have 2 questions after listening to the episode. One, I’m still not sure how much to be taking. Jen, you said you take 10 grams a day and we are close in weight(although you’re a helluva lot tighter than me right now!) Is that a good starting point? The second question-I took 5 grams a day for a month or so last year and didn’t really see much in the way of results. Not taking enough, or does that make me a non-responder?

Hello,
I have a question about the comment “Strength is directly related to an increase in muscle size and volume” Strength gains has everything to do with more neural drive and intention. I know lots of people with “big” muscles who can’t lift as much as someone with “small” muscles. The more you train, the more the endplate of a motor nerve innervates the muscle it is connected to. Size and volume are not the indication of strength gains. Thanks!
Shawn